4901:1-6-18
Slamming and preferred carrier freezes.

(A)
Providers of
telecommunications service, in the course of submitting or executing a change
on behalf of a subscriber in the selection of a telephone company, shall obtain
authorization from the subscriber and verification of that authorization in
accordance with the rules and procedures prescribed by the federal
communications commission (FCC) at
47 C.F.R.
64.1100 to
47 C.F.R.
64.1170. For purposes of this rule, the term
"subscriber" has the same meaning as it does within the context of the rules
and procedures prescribed by the FCC.

(B)
The submitting
provider of telecommunications service shall maintain and preserve records of
verification of a subscriber's authorized switch of provider of
telecommunications service in accordance with the rules and procedures
prescribed by the FCC.

(C)
Any provider of telecommunications service that is
informed by a subscriber or the commission of an unauthorized provider change
shall follow the commission's informal complaint procedures and the remedies
prescribed by the FCC for the resolution of informal complaints of unauthorized
changes of providers of telecommunications service.

(D)
The commission,
upon complaint by any person or its own initiative, has jurisdiction under
sections 4905.73 and
4905.26 of the Revised Code
concerning any violation of this rule and may order remedies as delineated
under the rules and procedures prescribed by the FCC and in effect at the time
of the violation, as well as enforce the duties and remedies provided for under
sections 4905.72 and
4905.73 of the Revised
Code.

(E)
A provider of telecommunications service shall offer a
preferred carrier freeze (PCF), only in accordance with the rules and
procedures prescribed by the FCC.

(F)
All
telecommunications providers that offer PCFs shall be required to refrain from
attempting to retain a customer's account during the process of changing a
customer's preferred carrier selection, or otherwise to provide such
information to its marketing staff or any affiliate.